CDFI has an incredible opportunity to make a lasting impact in the lives of the 177 families living in rural Kenya through micro-enterprise development! We are partnering with World Vision Kenya to launch this new program.

World Vision will be providing all the necessary training, monitoring and evaluation, while CDFI is responsible for raising the $25,000 needed to fund the program.

Background

In rural Kenya, families face many struggles associated with the harsh realities of poverty. A lack of food and basic medical care, education, economic opportunities, and more, affect families' abilities to meet their own basic needs. In addition to these challenges, each of the 177 families that CDFI currently assists has a child living with a disability in the home. These special children often require advanced medical interventions (including surgeries and occupational/physical therapies), placement in (and transportation to) special needs schools, and additional home based care and advocacy. Without support, already struggling families are simply not able to provide these necessary interventions for their disabled child. 

CDFI has been assisting families with these critical needs since 2016. Through donor support, we have been able to place most of the children in our program in appropriate school settings, have been able to purchase a large health insurance plan which covers all of the children's basic medical needs, as well as any surgeries, and have been able to provide home-based care and advocacy for 155 children with disabilities and their families. These interventions have been absolutely transformational in the lives of these children and their families. 

A move toward sustainability - Enter micro-enterprise!

While the children we serve in Kenya have been helped tremendously through our interventions to date, we want to aim for greater sustainability in our program. To date, the money we have raised for specific purposes (ie. health care, school fees, etc.) has been spent for its intended purposes, which DO have their desired affect, but families of children with special needs remain in their original state after their children are supported with the necessary school needs, home-based care needs, etc. And so, it remains up to us (CDFI and our donors) to raise the money again the next time school fees, medical costs, etc. come due. 

We believe that the BEST way to help the children in our program long term is to equip their families to be able to better provide for their complex needs through improved economic opportunities.

What is Microenterprise development?...... holly, write this.



What will the $25,000 provide?

1. TRAINING: Micro-enterprise development training for the parents/guardians of 177 children with disabilities.
2. ACCOUNTABILITY: Creation of support groups for future training, monitoring and sharing of best practices.
3. STARTING FUNDS: Seed money for families' initial small business loans.
4. MONITORING: World Vision in Kenya (EXPERTS in micro-enterprise development!) will be monitoring and evaluating the program. We, at CDFI, will share stories and reports results back to you, our donors.